Floor construction.



E. F. CRANE.

FLOOR CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED IULY12,1912.

1,182,355. Patented May 9,1916.

Witnesses; Inn/mar;

Edwa/rdEGmne W lwlf My THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (20 WASHINGTON. D C.

UNTTED STATES PATENT GFFTCEQ EDWARD F. CRANE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

FLOOR CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed July 12, 1912.

To all it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD F. CRANE, citizen of the United States, and resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in floor construction, and more particularly to hollow floor construction comprising reinforced concrete and hollow forms distributed in spaced relationship within the floor. In a prior application filed by me January 9, 1911, Serial No. 601,558, there is illustrated one type of such hollow floor construction in which the forms are hollow blocks made in part of metal and in part of non-metallic elements, the construction there illustrated being designed as a substitute for and improvement upon the old type of hollow concrete floor construction having terra-cotta or similar tiles or blocks distributed throughout the body of the concrete flooring. In both of the types of floor construction just referred to the forms, tiles or blocks are arranged on a flooring of false work in proper relation with one another with metallic reinforcing rods in position between the rows, the floor being formed by pouring concrete in the usual manner among and around the forms, rods, etc, to fill all the intervening space and form a net-work of intersecting beams or girders joined by the concrete to form a unitary reinforced concrete floor construction.

My present invention is distinguished from the floor constructions and forms or blocks just described in many respects.

One of the principal features of this new fioor construction is that tiles or blocks formed wholly or in part of terra-cotta or other non-metallic material are dispensed with and the blocks used to form the hollow spaces in the flooring are merely forms, that is, means for providing hollow spaces in the finished flooring. In the preferred construction these forms are made of sheet metal suitably stiffened to enable them to perform their necessary functions during the formation and after the completion of the floor.

An important element of my invention is the employment of forms having at their bottoms means for interlocking with the poured concrete, this means consisting, in

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Serial No. 708,947.

the present instance, of legs from which the body portions of the forms rise, a body portion open at the bottom, and of locking and stiffening flanges at the edges of the opening in the bottom of each form. In addition to this each form also preferably consists of both a body portion and a top or cover which may be entirely removable therefrom for the purpose of facilitating pouring of concrete into the top of the form and partially filling the same before the main portion of the floor is poured.

Considering the floor construction as a whole, one of the most important features is a hollow floor construction made up of hollow forms completely embedded in concrete in such a manner that the under side of the floor, that is, the surface constituting the ceiling of the finished floor, is an unbroken or substantially unbroken concrete surface completely inclosing all of the forms and such reinforcing material as is used in the floor construction. With a floor of this type the floor construction and the ceiling surface are all finished by the one operation of pouring the concrete, which, it will be understood, may be of any suitable kind or kinds and may be suitably colored to obtain the desired ceiling finish. In other words, the floor and the ceiling are completely finished in the one operation just described, this being one of the most important features of my invention. F or obtaining this result hollow forms substantially such as have been hereinbefore described are placed in properly spaced relation and the floor construction reinforced by reinforcing bars or sheets or both, properly related to or connected with the forms themselves, but all so located with reference to the supporting surface of the false work on which the floor is formed as to enable the concrete when poured completely or substantially completely to inclose all of these elements so that when the floor is finished they will be embedded in the concrete.

Other features of my invention not hereinbefore referred to will be hereinafter de scribed and claimed and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a partially finished floor construction embodying my present invention and illustrating a hollow form of the type hereinbefore described, and the manner in which it is related to other elements of the floor construction for the purpose of forming a hollow concrete floor, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a finished hollow concrete floor embodying my present invention.

Similar characters designate like parts in the various figures of the drawings.

is before stated, one of the principal features of the invention is a floor construction in which hollow forms are completely or substantially completely inclosed in poured concrete. The forms employed for the purpose may be any kind suitable for obtaining this result, but in the preferred construction they are so constituted that the body portions thereof at least will be completely surrounded by and inclosed or embedded in the concrete after the same has been poured. Usually the body portion will rise from an interrupted peripheral supporting surface of small area, as, for example, from a plurality of legs so disposed as properly to support such body on the usual false work, indicated herein at Usually each form will be made of sheet metal for convenience and cheapness of construction, shipment, handling, etc, as it permits of their being shipped in flat or blank form and set up at the job, and when so formed each will preferably be suitably stiffened to withstand the pressure of the wet or green concrete during pouring. Each form may also be of sufficient strength to constitute in and of itself a reinforcing or stiffening medium in the finished floor. YVhen made of sheet metal each form or block will preferably comprise a body portion and a top or cover which may be constructed substantially as indicated herein at Z) and 0 respectively. Thus the body portion 6 of the form shown is a rectangular box, open both at the top and bottom, made of a single piece of sheet metal, the box body shown being practically square in horizontal section. For the purpose of stiffening it, it is here shown as having at the bounding edges of its open top and bottom inturned flanges, such as 2 and 3, which obviously serve to stiffen the box at both top and bottom against pressure of concrete either internal or external, and also when united at their overlapping corners by rivets or other fastening means, as indicated at 15, serve as a means to hold the forms square. The flanges 2 also constitute, in this case, interlocking elements, that is, means for interlocking with poured concrete.

Any suitable means may be employed for elevating each form or body portion 6 above the level of the false work f on which each form is intended to be supported. One of the most important features of the invention is the provision of means for obtaining such an elevation of each form as will permit the pouring of the fluid concrete under and around, and preferably through, the bottom of the form proper, the object of this being to obtain a floor construction in which, when the flooring is finished and the concrete has set, a relatively thick layer of concrete lies below the body portion of each form and is connected or integral with the superimposed concrete of the floor construction to constitute a unitary floor presenting not only surfaces of poured concrete throughout its whole external surface, but also relatively thick walls of concrete at every point in its external surface. Here each body portion 6 rises from a plurality of legs, such as 4, disposed at the four corners of the bottom of the box, each leg being, in this instance, formed from the metal of the body Z) and each terminating in a point, 5, so as to permit the concrete poured onto the false-work to completely inclose the forms and the legs therein notwithstanding the fact that the points of the legs rest on the flooring when the concrete is poured.

A form open at both top and bottom is used in the preferred construction in order that the bottom of each form may be firmly embedded in the lowermost layer of concrete, constituting the ceiling layer, and also securely interlocked with such reinforcing means as may be used. When such an opentop form is employed the concrete will first be poured into and around the forms up to a predetermined level, which will be slightly above the level of all of the reinforcing means used, after which the covers or tops will be placed in position on the forms and the remainder of the concrete poured until the forms are completely covered and all of the spaces among and around them filled with concrete, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

-As a means to facilitate the proper positioning of the forms in a regular manner throughout the body of the floor to be constructed each of these forms may be so constructed at the bottom thereof as to straddle suitable reinforcing bars or rods, such as 6 and 7, which may be of the usual type. Here each body portion I) is shown as having at the centers of its bottom edges open-sidcd slots, such as 8 and 9, of sufiicient depth to receive the reinforcing bars 6 and 7. Two alined slots 8 receive one rod 6 of one set and two alined slots 9 receive a rod 7 of the other set. The reinforcing bars, as is usual, are disposed in parallel lines, the rods of one set or series crossing those of the other and the two sets being preferably disposed one above the other. The slots 8 and 9 are also of suflicient depth to permit these reinforcing bars to rest on a reinforcing sheet of metal, such as the usual wire-netting 10, and still leave a considerable space between said netting andthe false work for concrete when poured to inclose all these parts completely and leaving a substantial layer of concrete below all of these reinforcing elements, 1

which layer extends from end to end of the floor construction and forms at its under side finished ceiling surface. The present floor construction differs from those heretofore used as to the arrangement of the reinforcing bars (3 and 7 in that it provides not only for the placing of reinforcing bars in the spaces between forms but also for the use of additional reinforrr-ing bars passing substantially through the centers of the bottoms of the forms, this being of special utility in connection with large forms as it provides for additional reinforcement of concrete in those cases where the hollows are of extra large size. All of the reinforcing n'iaterials described may be brought into, and maintained in, the desire-d predetermined rela tion to one another by providing suitable connections between the uppermost and low" crmost elements of the floor other than the poured conrrcte. Here the lower edges of the forms are joined by suitable connections, preferably fastening wires, such as 11, to the wire of the netting 10 which wire in turn may support both of bars (3 and 7. Thus the devices ll form a positive means of connection of all of these parts in the zone of the lowermost or concreteadmitting portions of the forn'ist and are held in this predetermincil relation with the main or concrctewvcluding portions of these forms.

'ith the parts in the position shown in l igl l and the covers (2 removed from the forms the concrete is first poured into and around the forms in the manner described, partially filling said forms and completely inelosing all of the reinforcing elements, after which the covers are placed on the l and the remaining concrete poured to the desired depth, substantial y as indicated in l ig. f2. Xhen the floor is finished and the coiwrete has hardened the floor construc tion will be a hollow reinforced floor with domesshapcd paces therein near the tread or floor su l :3. while the lower surface or ceiling Y irlacc KL will he a continuous one baclcd up a relatively thick layer of concrete and completely inrlosing all of nl reinforcing material. lail ,l on {lo-or coinlrucli olloxv forms each h: ring a l, A

fmm a p uralit) of l in combinaon lh lillli of con-crete completely inosiug said forms and in nhich said legs ire al -o embcddet a, metallic reinforcing sheet disposed above and parallel with the bottoms of l-i-gs and also embedded in said concrete. said sheet l aring openings to receive the form legs and connections between aid reinforcing sheet and the forms for maintaining a predetern'iinod relation between them during the pouring and setting of the concrete.

A hollow floor construction, coinpris a isi comprising :1 portion sr. id

ing hollow forms each having a body portion rising from a plurality of legs and being open at both top and bottom for partially filling with concrete and each also having a removable cover for closing the upper opening after such partial filling, a set of parallel reinforcing bars over which the forms are placed, and a filling of concrete completely inclosing said forms and partially filling the same at the bottoms thereof and in which said reinforcing bars and legs are also embedded.

3. A hollow floor construction, comprising hollow forms each having a body portion open at both top and bottom for partially filling with concrete and each also having a removable cover for closing the upper opening after such partial filling and each also being provided with open slots in its lower edge to receive a reinforcing bar, a set of parallel reinforcing bars over which the forms are placed with the bars extend ing through said slots of the forms, and a filling of concrete com 'iletely int-losing said forms and partially filling the same at the bottoms thereof and in which said reinforcing bars are also embedded.

l. A hollow floor construction,comprising hollow forms each having a body portion open at both top and bottom for partially filling with concrete and curb also having a removable cover for closing the upper opening after such partial filling and each also being provided with open slots in its lower edge to receive a reinforcing bar, two sets of crossing reinforcing bars one set disposed above the other and both sets extending through said slots of the forms, and a filling of concrete completely inclosiug said forms and partially filling the same at the bottoms thereof and in whicl saic reinforcing bars are also embedded.

3. A hollow floor construction, comprising hollow forms each having a body portion open at both top and botton'i for partially lilling with concrcle and each also having at its bottom a plurality of sup mrtiug leg l two sets of crossing reinforcing bars one set disposed above the other and over both if which sets the forms are located in spaced relation. :1 reticulated metallic reinforciu sheet disposed above. and parallel with. the bottoms of said legs and on which said bars rest. connections between said reinforcing sheet and the forms for maintaining a predetermined relation of the forms. bars and sheet during the pouring and setting of the concrete. and a filling of concrete completely inclosing said forms and partially tillingthe same at the bottoms thereof and in which said reinforcing bars and sheet are also embedded.

6. A hollow form for floor construction comprising a body portion open at both top and bottom and having at its top and hottom stiffening flanges and also having a New York, and State of New York, this 10th plurality of legs at the corners of the bottom day of July, A. D. 1912.

and open-sided slots at the centers of the bottom edges for receiving reinforcing bars, EDWARD CRANE i and a removable cover for said body por- WVitnesses:

tion. K. M. CAssIDY,

Signed at New York, in the county of CHAS. F. DANE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

